Federal land managers have released a new plan outlining areas for solar development in the Western United States.
The Bureau of Land Management’s proposal would make over 31 million acres of federal public land available for solar development applications. It identifies areas where large, utility-scale, solar installations could be built. The lands span across 11 western states, including Montana.
The proposal only outlines the areas where a developer could apply to build solar. It does not authorize new solar development projects.
For Montana, the proposal includes BLM land in Glacier, Liberty and Sheridan Counties.
The BLM says the plan would not allow solar in important habitat for big game or any threatened and endangered species. But wildlife advocacy groups, like the Center for Biological Diversity have criticized the proposal’s environmental analysis for opening up too much undeveloped land, saying it would harm vulnerable species.
With the publication of the proposed plan, there is now a 30 day protest period where anyone who commented on previous drafts can voice their objections.
As of July 2024, the BLM has permitted over 200 clean energy projects on public lands. It’s reviewing another 62 proposals. This push for clean energy development is part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to move away from fossil fuel-based energy, reducing the impacts of climate change.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates 700,000 acres of BLM lands would need to be developed to meet the country’s clean energy goals.
